Bending and straightening machines



D.1,1970 ISCHUETZMAQN 3,544,141-

BENDING AND STRAIGHTENING MACHINE-S Filed Jan. 8, 1968 In ventoh;

K 1:; 3A) iv-mua United States Patent BENDING AND STRAIGHTENING MACHINES Toni Schuetzmann, Spiesen, Saar, Germany, assignor to Ehrhardt 8: Sehmer Maschinenfahrik AG., Saarbrucken, Germany Filed Jan. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 696,245 Claims priority, applicatiglggrmany, Jan. 14, 1967,

Int. Cl. B21b 31/08 U.S. Cl. 28752.01 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The specification describes means for holding a rolling means in a girder straightening or bending machine which comprises axially extending pins. The pins have oblique faces on their outer ends for exerting an axial clamping action on the rolling means and can be retracted to a size within the bore diameter of the rolling means so that the rolling means can be removed without having to disassemble their retaining means.

The present invention relates to machines for bending, for instance straightening, elongated pieces of metal while they are being moved lengthways by applying a lateral bending force by means of rolling means. The rolling means comprise number of rotating wheels, disks or rollers mounted on holding sleeves.

For holding such rolling means so that they cannot move along their axis' of rotation, removable nuts, gripping rings or bayonets joints are used. A disadvantage with such removable devices is that, especially in the case of straightening machines for medium and heavy weight girders, the removable parts are of substantial weight, and for altering the rolling means special tackle such as a hoist is required for handling them when they are no longer carried by the support on which the rolling means are mounted.

One object of the invention is to provide a retaining means for the rolling means which enables the latter to be quickly and easily changed.

The present invention consists in a machine for bending elongated pieces of metal while they are being moved lengthways, comprising rolling means for applying a lateral bending force to the pieces of metal, a support carrying the rolling means, the rolling means being able to be removed from the support by movement in the direction of the axis of rotation, and retaining means for holding the rolling means on the support, characterized in that the machine includes as the retaining means, radially extending pins mounted in holes in the support, and means for retracting them to fit within a bore of the rolling means and extending them so that oblique faces on their outer ends exert an axial clamping action on the rolling means. In accordance with a preferred form of a machine in accordance with the invention a plug is mounted in the support and has an inclined outer face for radially contracting the inner ends of the support, means being provided for moving the plugs axially. Springs can be provided for moving the radial pins inwards.

Conveniently an axial pin and the support can be interconnected by screw threads so as to cause the axial pin to move axially when rotated, a setting ring being provided at one end of the support for turning the axial pin, the ring being jornalled in a cover.

Instead of using a screw thread for bringing about axial movement of the axial pin, hydraulic means can be provided.

A machine in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through retaining means for holding rolling means in position; and

FIG. 2 is a section on the line AA of FIG. 1.

The top part of each figure shows the retaining means in the operating position, that is to say holding the rolling means in position, while the lower parts of the figures show the retaining means in an inoperative position.

As is shown in the figures the rolling means k are mounted on a cylindrical support h which has an axial recess in which a plug a is mounted. The plug a is provided with recesses a with the bottoms thereof inclined at an angle to the axis of the plug. The radially inner ends of pins b fit into these recesses. The plug is thus prevented from rotating in relation to the support h. The pins b are pressed inwards by compression springs 0 so that their inner ends make contact with the bottoms of the recesses a In the axial recess in the support h, a threaded axial pin d is arranged and is retained in position by a ring e so that it cannot fall out. The male thread on the pin d fits in a female thread in the support h. The axial recess in the support h is closed by a cover on which there is journalled a setting ring g mounted on the threaded pin d. On turningthe setting ring g the threaded pin d is turned and hence moved axially, driving the plug a so that the inclined bottoms of the slots a of the plug a slide along the inner ends of the pins b which move outwards if the plug a is moved towards the setting ring g or inwards, owing to the action of the springs c, if it is moved in the opposite direction.'

When the pins b are moved outward their oblique outer ends contact an oblique face 1 on the inner non-rotary part of the rolling means and clamp it in an axial direction against a shoulder, not shown, at the other end of the support h.

I claim:

1. In a machine for exerting a lateral bending force to a lengthwise moving workpiece comprising rolling means for exerting said force and a support in an axial bore in the rolling means for axial mounting thereof, the improvement being retaining means for axially securing the rolling means on the support yet allowing ready axial removal thereof, said retaining means including a plurality of radially movable pins mounted in the support, and means for radially extending said pins so their outer ends exert an axial clamping force on the rolling means to hold said means in operative position and retracting said pins so that their outer circumscribed diameter is less than said bore and the rolling means can be axially removed from the support.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said extending and retracting means is a plug having a camming recess engaging the inner end of each said radial pin, and

a .7 4 further including plug moving means for axially moving- 4 7 References Cited said plug which will cam the pins in a radial direction.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 further including UNITED STATES PATENTS an axial pin threadedly engaged with the support and g: l b d tt' Passlng through an 3X13 Ore 1n the P an 3 5e 8 5 3,323,344 6/1967 Mersek 72 238 ring journalled on a cover so that when the ring is turned the axial pin is axially moved relative to the support along with the plug thereby moving said radial pins. MILTON MEHR Primary Exammer 4. A machine as claimed in claim 2 further including 4 U S C1 XR means biasing each said radial pin inwardly so that the 10 i inner end thereof engages the camming recess. 

